Swahili Made Easy: A Beginner's Complete Course

SWAHILI-ENGLlSH VOCABULARY

VOCABULARY 189 SWAHILI-ENGLlSH VOCABULARY (WORDS USED IN THE EXERCISES) A -a, of (takes class prefixes) a-, he, she (used with verbs) abiria passenger acha,ku- kuachana, to stop doing something adhuhuri, midday adui, enemy afisa, officer afisa tawala, administrator Afrika, Africa Afrika Mashariki, East Afrika Afrika Magharibi, West Africa aga, ku-, to take leave of agana, ku- to agree upon something ahadi, promise aina, kind, sort aina gani? What kind, what sort…? ajabu, maajabu wonder(s) ajali, (1) accident (2) fate akiba, savings -ako, your (sing.) akili, intelligent 190 SWAHILI MADE EASY alama, sign, mark alfu, thousand, (see elfu) alika, ku- to invite amini, ku- to trust, believe in kuamkia, ku to greet kuamsha, ku to awaken ana, he/she has andaa, kuandika, to prepare, set in order anga, angani, sky, in the sky angalia, ku to see, angu, my, mine anguka, kuangusha, to fall down kuanza, to begin, start -ao, their ardhi, land ari, eagerness arifu, ku- to inform asante, thank you,Thanks asubuhi, morning, in the morning asubuhi sana, very early in the morning. Leo asubuhi, this morning au, or VOCABULARY 191 B baada ya, after baadaye, afterwards baba, father babu, grandfather bado, not yet, still bado kidogo, a little while, yet bado mtoto, (he/she) still a child bahari, ocean, sea baharini, in, at the ocean bahasha, envelope bahati, luck baki, kubaki, remainder, rest, to remain bakshishi, tip banda, hut bandari, port, harbour barabara, road baraka, blessing baridi, cold barua, letter basi, mabasi, bus(es) -baya, bad beberu, ma imperialist (lit. he-goat) bendera, flag bepari, ma-, capitalist bia, 1) beer 2) share; partnership (in business) 192 SWAHILI MADE EASY biashara, trade, business bibi, ma- grandmother, lady -bichi, unripe, uncooked bidhaa, goods, merchandise bidii, effort, with effort bila, without bizari, curry powder blanketi, blanket boma, headquarters, fort bora, excellent, very good -bovu, rotten, out of order bunduki, gun bunge, parliament bure, in vain, grati s bustani, garden bwana, ma - lord, master CH -chache, few -chafu, dirty chafuka, ku- become dirty, be excited chagua, ku- to choose, to vote chai, tea chakula, vy- food cheka, ku- to laugh VOCABULARY 193 chekelea, ku- (tabasamu) to smile chekesha, ku- to amuse chelewa, ku- to be late chemka, ku- to boil chemsha, ku- to cause to boil cheni, chain cheo, rank, social status cheti, vy- certificate cheza, ku- to play chini, down, under choka, ku to be tired chombo, vy vessel (of any kind) choo, vy- toilet chui, leopard chukua, ku- to take chuma, vy- iron (metal) chuma, ku- to pick (fruits, vegetables, etc.) chumba, vyu room chuo, vy- college chuo kikuu, university chupa, bottle D dada, sister dakika, minute dalili, symptom, mark (see alama) damu, blood 194 SWAHILI MADE EASY darasa, classroom, class dawa, medicine deki, ku- to wash the floor dereva, ma- driver desturi, custom, routine dini, religion dogo, n- small, little duka, ma- shop dunia, duniani, world, in the world E -ekundu, red -elea, ku to float -elewa ku- to understand eleza, ku- to explain elfu, 1 ,000 elimu, education -ema kind, good at heart -embamba, slender, slim embe, mango enda, ku- to go endelea, ku- to go on, to progress (maendeleo) (development) endesha, ku- to drive -enu, your (pl.) -enye, having VOCABULARY 195 -enye nguvu, strong -enyewe, self, (e.g. mimi mweyewe, I myself) -epesi, light (not heavy) -eupe, white -eusi, black -etu, our F fa, ku- to die faa, ku- be useful , fit fahamu, ku- to know fahari, glory, splendour faida, profit faidika, ku- to profit fanya, ku- to do, make fanyika, ku- to be done faraja, comfort, consolation farasi, horse faulu, ku- to pass, to succeed fedha, money ficha, ku- to hide fika, ku- to arrive fikiri, ku- to think fikiria, ku- to think of, to consider fimbo, stick 196 SWAHILI MADE EASY fisi, hyena fomu, form fua, ku- to wash clothes fulia, ku- to wash clothes for fuata, ku- to follow fukuza, ku- to chase, to drive away fulani, certain person fundi, ma- skilled worker fundisha, ku- to teach funga, ku- to tie up, to shut funza, ku- to teach (not so frequently used) fupi, short, shallow furaha, joy, furaha ku- to be happy G gani? which? (kitu gani? mtu gani?) gari, ma- car gawanya, ku- divide gazeti, ma- newspaper giza, darkness ghali, expensive godoro, mattress -gumu, difficult VOCABULARY...